‘Just 10 onboard…’: Founder shares video clip of near empty flight to Delhi as city chokes on smog
Delhi’s toxic air is not just choking the city’s residents — it’s driving people away. Founder Sumedha Uppal took to X (formally twitter) this weekend to share a striking observation that has since gone viral: “I don’t remember the last time I saw a Bangalore-Delhi flight having just 10 people on a weekend. And this wasn’t even a red-eye; it lands at 10 AM,” she wrote.
Her post captured a growing sentiment among citizens — Delhi’s hazardous air quality is now altering travel plans, with people actively avoiding the capital as air pollution reaches dangerous levels.
On Sunday, Delhi’s air officially registered as ‘very poor,’ with an AQI of 370 and PM2.5 levels hovering at 39/39 as of 3:00 PM. Across the city, residents shared their own alarming readings, some showing even higher pollutant concentrations.
The worst-hit areas include Alipur (404), ITO (402), Nehru Nagar (406), Vivek Vihar (411), Wazirpur (420), and Burari (418) — all in the “severe” category. The Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) Sameer app shows PM2.5 and PM10 as the dominant pollutants, making the air extremely hazardous for breathing.
The situation extends across the National Capital Region (NCR), with Noida (354), Greater Noida (336), and Ghaziabad (339) all in the “very poor” range. Just two days earlier, on November 7, Delhi had already recorded an AQI of 322 — the highest among major Indian cities.
Experts point to stubble burning and vehicular emissions as the major culprits. According to the Decision Support System (DSS) for air quality forecasting, stubble burning contributed around 30% of Delhi’s pollution on Sunday, while transport emissions made up 15.2%. Satellite imagery from Friday alone captured 100 stubble fires in Punjab, 18 in Haryana, and 164 in Uttar Pradesh, illustrating the persistent role of farm fires in Delhi’s winter smog.
The Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi predicts the air will stay in the “very poor” category in the coming days. As per CPCB classification, AQI between 301–400 is “very poor,” and above 400 is “severe,” posing serious health risks for residents.
In a bid to ease traffic and cut emissions, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced staggered office timings for Delhi government and Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) employees. Beginning November 15, 2025, until February 15, 2026, Delhi government offices will function from 10:00 AM to 6:30 PM, while MCD offices will operate from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM.
The move aims to reduce rush-hour congestion and bring down vehicular pollution — one of the capital’s biggest contributors to toxic air.
For residents, however, daily life remains a struggle. Simple activities like walking outdoors or commuting have become health hazards. The empty flight that Sumedha Uppal witnessed is just one symptom of a broader crisis — a city where people are now choosing to stay away.
As Delhi braces for yet another polluted winter, the combination of stubble smoke, stagnant winds, and relentless traffic continues to make the air unbreathable. Authorities face mounting pressure to act, while citizens adapt to life behind masks and purifiers — in a city that’s rapidly turning unlivable each November.
